ATR-probe

Abstract

An ATR-probe including: a housing having a media opening; a radiation guiding body closing the media opening and having two planparallel surfaces, between which light can be guided by means of total reflection. A section of a first planparallel surface bordered by a sealing ring can be contacted through the media opening with a medium to be measured. Transmission light conductors and receiving light conductors in the housing, wherein light is guided from the transmission light conductors, through the radiation guiding body, into the receiving light conductors; and wherein adjoining the first planparallel surface are first and second deflection surfaces, on which, respectively, light coupled into the radiation guiding body and light to be coupled out are deflected by total reflection, so that the light can be guided between the planparallel surfaces by means of total reflection. The light is not collimated, and the effective area of the transmission light conductors is smaller than the effective area of the receiving light conductors.

1. An ATR-probe, comprising:
 a housing having an inner space with a media opening opening to outside of said housing, wherein said media opening is surrounded by an annular sealing surface; 
 a transparent radiation guiding body closing said media opening and having two planparallel surfaces, between which light can be guided by means of total reflection, at least one sensitive section of a first surface of said planparallel surfaces is positioned in alignment with said media opening and can be contacted through said media opening with a medium to be measured, wherein said at least one sensitive section of said first surface is bordered by a sealing ring, which is arranged between said first surface and said sealing surface, wherein said transparent radiation guiding body is supported from said inner space by a support body; 
 transmission light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing; and 
 receiving light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing, wherein: 
 light from said transmission light conductors can be coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body from the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section; 
 adjoining said surface of said first planparallel surfaces, a first inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it hits first on a second surface of said planparallel surfaces, and can be guided in said radiation guiding body between said two planparallel surfaces by means of further total reflections; adjoining said first surface, opposite to said first inclined deflection surface, a second inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light guided between said two planparallel surfaces by means of total reflection impinges and is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it can then, on the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section, be coupled out of said transparent radiation guiding body and into said receiving light conductors; said first and said second inclined deflection surfaces are arranged in said inner space of said housing outside of the region surrounded by said sealing ring; 
 the coupled light is not collimated; and 
 the effective area of said transmission light conductors, from which light is coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body, is smaller than the effective area of said receiving light conductors, into which light from said transparent radiation guiding body is coupled. 
 
     
     
       2. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprises:
 a support body comprises a ferrule, in which end sections of said light conductors are guided, in order to position and to orient said light conductors with respect to said transparent radiation guiding body. 
 
     
     
       3. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 between end faces of said light conductors and said second surface of said transparent radiation guiding body, a separation of at least 20 μm, preferably at least 60 μm, and especially preferably at least 100 μm is provided. 
 
     
     
       4. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the separation is set via a spacing body, which is arranged between said support body and said transparent radiation guiding body. 
 
     
     
       5. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said spacing body has a rough surface on its side facing said transparent radiation guiding body. 
 
     
     
       6. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 said support body has on its surface facing said transparent radiation guiding body protrusions, with which the separation between said second surface of said transparent radiation guiding body and said end faces of said light conductors is defined. 
 
     
     
       7. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said transparent radiation guiding body is monolithic and comprises diamond, sapphire or ZnSe. 
 
     
     
       8. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said transmission light conductors and said receiving light conductors include silver halide fibers or chalcogenide fibers. 
 
     
     
       9. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a dispersive element, which includes, for example, a graduated filter, a grating or an interferometer. 
 
     
     
       10. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said second surface extends to the outer edge of said transparent radiation guiding body, so that said second surface overlaps with said first and said second deflection surfaces. 
 
     
     
       11. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 adjoining said second surface and at least partially aligned with said first inclined deflection surface is a first refracting surface, which is inclined with respect to said second surface, and by which in-coupled light is refracted. 
 
     
     
       12. The ATR-probe as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second refracting surface, which adjoins said second surface opposite to said first refracting surface, and which is arranged at least sectionally aligned with said second inclined deflection surface, and by which light to be out-coupled is refracted. 
 
     
     
       13. An ATR-probe, comprising:
 a housing having an inner space with a media opening opening to outside of said housing, wherein said media opening is surrounded by an annular sealing surface; 
 a transparent radiation guiding body closing said media opening and having two planparallel surfaces, between which light can be guided by means of total reflection, at least one sensitive section of a first surface of said planparallel surfaces is positioned in alignment with said media opening and can be contacted through said media opening with a medium to be measured, wherein said at least one sensitive section of said first surface is bordered by a sealing ring, which is arranged between said first surface and said sealing surface, wherein said transparent radiation guiding body is supported from said inner space by a support body; 
 transmission light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing; and 
 receiving light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing, wherein: 
 light from said transmission light conductors can be coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body from the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section; 
 adjoining said surface of said first planparallel surfaces, a first inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it hits first on a second surface of said planparallel surfaces, and can be guided in said radiation guiding body between said two planparallel surfaces by means of further total reflections; adjoining said first surface, opposite to said first inclined deflection surface, a second inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light guided between said two planparallel surfaces by means of total reflection impinges and is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it can then, on the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section, be coupled out of said transparent radiation guiding body and into said receiving light conductors; said first and said second inclined deflection surfaces are arranged in said inner space of said housing outside of the region surrounded by said sealing ring; 
 the coupled light is not collimated; 
 the effective area of said transmission light conductors, from which light is coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body, is smaller than the effective area of said receiving light conductors, into which light from said transparent radiation guiding body is coupled; and 
 said first inclined surface and said transmission light conductors are positioned and oriented in such a manner that, at most, a negligible fraction F1 of the in-coupled light intensity hits an area of said first inclined surface, against which said sealing ring lies, before the first total reflection on said second surface or directly after the first total reflection on said second surface, wherein F1<0.2. 
 
     
     
       14. An ATR-probe, comprising:
 a housing having an inner space with a media opening opening to outside of said housing, wherein said media opening is surrounded by an annular sealing surface; 
 a transparent radiation guiding body closing said media opening and having two planparallel surfaces, between which light can be guided by means of total reflection, at least one sensitive section of a first surface of said planparallel surfaces is positioned in alignment with said media opening and can be contacted through said media opening with a medium to be measured, wherein said at least one sensitive section of said first surface is bordered by a sealing ring, which is arranged between said first surface and said sealing surface, wherein said transparent radiation guiding body is supported from said inner space by a support body; 
 transmission light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing; and 
 receiving light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing, wherein: 
 light from said transmission light conductors can be coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body from the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section; 
 adjoining said surface of said first planparallel surfaces, a first inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it hits first on a second surface of said planparallel surfaces, and can be guided in said radiation guiding body between said two planparallel surfaces by means of further total reflections; adjoining said first surface, opposite to said first inclined deflection surface, a second inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light guided between said two planparallel surfaces by means of total reflection impinges and is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it can then, on the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section, be coupled out of said transparent radiation guiding body and into said receiving light conductors; said first and said second inclined deflection surfaces are arranged in said inner space of said housing outside of the region surrounded by said sealing ring; 
 the coupled light is not collimated; 
 the effective area of said transmission light conductors, from which light is coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body, is smaller than the effective area of said receiving light conductors, into which light from said transparent radiation guiding body is coupled; and 
 said second inclined surface and said receiving light conductors are positioned and oriented in such a manner that, at most, a negligible fraction F2 of the light intensity coupled out into said receiving light conductors hits an area of said first surface, against which said sealing ring lies, after the last total reflection on said second surface or directly before the last total reflection on said second surface, wherein F2<0.3. 
 
     
     
       15. An ATR-probe, comprising:
 a housing having an inner space with a media opening opening to outside of said housing, wherein said media opening is surrounded by an annular sealing surface; 
 a transparent radiation guiding body closing said media opening and having two planparallel surfaces, between which light can be guided by means of total reflection, at least one sensitive section of a first surface of said planparallel surfaces is positioned in alignment with said media opening and can be contacted through said media opening with a medium to be measured, wherein said at least one sensitive section of said first surface is bordered by a sealing ring, which is arranged between said first surface and said sealing surface, wherein said transparent radiation guiding body is supported from said inner space by a support body; 
 transmission light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing; and 
 receiving light conductors, which extend in said inner space of said housing, wherein: 
 light from said transmission light conductors can be coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body from the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section; 
 adjoining said surface of said first planparallel surfaces, a first inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it hits first on a second surface of said planparallel surfaces, and can be guided in said radiation guiding body between said two planparallel surfaces by means of further total reflections; adjoining said first surface, opposite to said first inclined deflection surface, a second inclined deflection surface is provided, on which light guided between said two planparallel surfaces by means of total reflection impinges and is deflected by total reflection in such a manner, that it can then, on the side of said transparent radiation guiding body facing away from said at least one sensitive section, be coupled out of said transparent radiation guiding body and into said receiving light conductors; said first and said second inclined deflection surfaces are arranged in said inner space of said housing outside of the region surrounded by said sealing ring; 
 the coupled light is not collimated; 
 the effective area of said transmission light conductors, from which light is coupled into said transparent radiation guiding body, is smaller than the effective area of said receiving light conductors, into which light from said transparent radiation guiding body is coupled; 
 said first inclined surface and said transmission light conductors are positioned and oriented in such a manner that, at most, a negligible fraction F1 of the in-coupled light intensity hits an area of said first inclined surface, against which said sealing ring lies, before the first total reflection on said second surface or directly after the first total reflection on said second surface, wherein F1<0.2, and 
 said second inclined surface and said receiving light conductors are positioned and oriented in such a manner that, at most, a negligible fraction F2 of the light intensity coupled out into said receiving light conductors hits an area of said first surface, against which said sealing ring lies, after the last total reflection on said second surface or directly before the last total reflection on said second surface, wherein F2<0.3.